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Seiko Speedtimer ‘Racing’ Solar Chronograph 41.5mm Mens Watch Green
Ref. HBJ003P1
Sits in Seiko’s upper tier here — more premium than three quarters of the Seiko watches we list, which start at £110.
Price range £110 to £3,550 across 173 Seiko watches in stock.The HBJ-series Speedtimers arrived in late 2026 as a direct refresh of the solar Speedtimer line, and the most visible change is a reworked tachymeter bezel carrying finer graduation increments than the SSC913 models it replaces — a small but meaningful improvement for anyone who actually uses the function. The deep green dial and matching two-tone black-and-green bezel insert read as a coherent motor-racing reference without spelling it out. At 45.9mm lug to lug, the watch sits closer to the wrist than the 41.4mm diameter might suggest, and the curved sapphire — AR-coated on the inner surface to cut internal reflections rather than just surface glare — keeps the dial readable at oblique angles in bright conditions. The V192 solar calibre will hold a full charge for six months in complete darkness, which means forgetting to wear it over a long holiday is not a problem worth thinking about. LumiBrite on both hands and all twelve indices is applied generously enough that the dial remains legible well into the dark, not just momentarily — something that separates a genuine sports chronograph from one that wears the label.
- Reference
- HBJ003P1
- Brand
- Seiko
- Collection
- Speedtimer
- Case size
- 41.4mm
- Case thickness
- 13mm
- Lug width
- 21mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Green
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Fixed tachymeter
- Movement
- Solar
- Calibre
- V192
- Functions
- Chronograph, Date, Power reserve indicator, Tachymeter
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Three-fold clasp
- Lume
- LumiBrite
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 45.9mm
Learn more about Seiko
Kintaro Hattori opened a watch and clock shop in Tokyo in 1881, aged twenty-one, and began manufacturing under the name Seikosha — roughly, house of exquisite workmanship — in 1892. The Seiko name appeared on watches from 1924.
The company's significance is that it broke the Swiss monopoly twice. First on precision: Seiko was appointed official timekeeper of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and built the quartz chronometers and printing timers to do it, and in the 1960s its movements placed highly at the Neuchâtel and Geneva observatory trials against the best Swiss houses.
Then on technology. On Christmas Day 1969 Seiko released the Astron, the world's first quartz wristwatch, accurate to five seconds a month where mechanical watches managed that per day. The consequences for Switzerland were catastrophic — employment in the Swiss industry fell by roughly two-thirds over the following decade. Seiko deliberately did not enforce its quartz patents, allowing the technology to spread.
The same year it produced the 6139, among the first automatic chronographs, and it has since introduced Kinetic, Spring Drive — a hybrid regulating a mechanical mainspring electronically, giving a perfectly gliding seconds hand — and its own dive and field lines.
Seiko remains fully vertically integrated, making its own hairsprings, quartz crystals, and even the Zaratsu-polished cases, at price points from under a hundred pounds upward.
- 1881
- Kintaro Hattori opens his Tokyo shop.
- 1924
- The first watches carry the Seiko name.
- 1964
- Official timekeeper of the Tokyo Olympics.
- 1969
- The Astron becomes the first quartz wristwatch.
- 1999
- Spring Drive enters production.
Also in 5 collections
This watch appears in Stainless Steel Watches (2,484), Chronograph Watches (961), Sports Watches (649), Green Dial Watches (346) and Solar & Kinetic Watches (165).
What the specifications mean
Strengths
- 100m water resistance covers swimming and watersports
- 45.9mm lug-to-lug keeps the 41.4mm case wearable
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- One of Seiko's more premium watches
Compare alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | HBJ003P1 | BY1010-57H | T1514222203100 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £690 | £699 | £495 |
| Case size | 41.4mm | 43mm | 39mm |
| Water resistance | 100m | 100m | 100m |
| Movement | Solar | Solar | Solar |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Titanium bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet |
| This watch |
|
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 100m it is rated for swimming and snorkelling, though not for diving.
Will the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Does it need a battery?
No. It charges from light, and the cell behind that is designed to last a decade or more.
What size strap does it take?
21mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 45.9mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16cm (6¼ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's.
Cheapest place to buy
Mappin & Webb is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference new, at £690. There is nothing to compare it against today.
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